


Smashing Every Expectation

by SumthinClever



Series: Past Patiently Waiting [1]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Artist Polysquad, Brief Smut, Established Relationship, F/F, Light Angst, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, More Fluff, Multi, google translate french
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-14 17:15:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14773821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SumthinClever/pseuds/SumthinClever
Summary: When Laf gets a job overseas, the polysquad learn to adjust to life with a quarter of your heart a million miles away... Well, for as long as they'll endure such nonsense anyway.





	Smashing Every Expectation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [playedwright](https://archiveofourown.org/users/playedwright/gifts), [lol-phan-af (lol_phan_af)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lol_phan_af/gifts).
  * Inspired by [make him love you (turn it around)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9552743) by [playedwright](https://archiveofourown.org/users/playedwright/pseuds/playedwright). 



> I want to dedicate this fic to johnnlaurenss, someone not even in this fandom anymore. I read their wonderful "turn it around" series about a week ago, and a random paragraph or so sparked the largest thing I've written in years, let alone in less than a week, and I am eternally grateful. 
> 
> Also dedicated to lol-phan-af whose "1-800-did-I-ask" verse introduced me to ot4. Series issa glory. Issa wonder. Read it. 
> 
> Also, the phrase of the day is artistic license. I did a little bit of research about a whole lot of stuff I vaguely or more so mentioned in this fic. I apologize to anyone with any expertise on anything in this fic where I may have committed monumental errors. Please feel free to correct me.

Smashing Every Expectation

This changed everything. 

 

Laf stood there warily, holding the acceptance letter to the big-name Parisian art museum that he'd applied to a few months ago while Alex, John, and Herc looked on in shock. 

 

Herc was the first to break the stupor. He forced a smile, made his legs move forward so he could embrace and congratulate Laf. This was a Big Thing and they all knew it was a possibility. 

 

Alex and John awoke from the nightmare at Hercules' movement. Laf, safely ensconced in Hercules' arms, missed the look that passed between John and Alex. They were proud of Laf, of course, but they were afraid. 

 

But for now, they sucked up their own fears, forced the same smile Hercules adopted, and joined the group hug, congratulating Laf with as much sincerity as they could muster when one fourth of their quad was l e a v i n g them. 

 

“Hey,” Alex said, face pressed into Laf's hair from behind, trying to suck up as much of their boyfriend's essence as he could before the true weight of the inevitable separation sat down on him. “Congratulations. Absolutely no one deserves this more.” 

 

Alex could feel himself choking up and prayed Laf didn't hear it in his voice. This was NOT the time to make things about him and his separation anxiety and fear of being left behind. 

 

But Alex heard Laf click his tongue, and disengage from the group hug to turn and pull Alex against his chest. Alex buried his face against the expanse to hide. 

 

“Oh, mon petit,” Laf soothed, running his fingers through the mess of Alex's hair. 

 

And that's all it took to make Alex break. The sob ripped through his chest and crashed against Laf. Alex heard John and Herc gasp and felt the group hug gain a new focus. 

 

“This is not goodbye, mon cher. It is not forever,” Laf consoled. 

 

That only made Alex cry harder. Laf didn't know, but Alex knew better. No one ever stayed. Through choice or circumstance, everyone always left, no matter how hard he tried to hold on to them. Alex found his arms tightening, fingers clenching into the back of Laf's shirt, nails possibly digging into his skin, trying to hold on just that much harder. Thinking that This Time, he could prevent someone else from departing his life. 

 

If it hurt, Laf didn't seem to mind, only holding Alex tighter in turn, shushing him and swaying Alex in his arms. Well, swaying as much as possible when they were still the center of a four-man-standing cuddle pile. 

 

Alex heard Herc and John also whispering promises to him, telling him this didn't change things, they weren't breaking up, Laf would be back. Alex burrowed deeper into everyone's arms, letting the words of his partners try to settle him, try to reassure him. 

 

It worked, in increments. Alex's tears stopped, his breathing leveled out, his heart rate returned to normal. And his partners still surrounded him whispering of love and togetherness and how this didn't change any of that. Alex breathed in their words, wanting to believe them. 

 

“I'm okay,” he mumbled into Laf's chest.

 

The hug loosened, trying to hear his words. Alex turned his face outward, breathing easier, resting his ear against Laf's heart instead. He realized Laf's heart was racing, too, and he was probably just as scared of this venture as everyone else was. Alex felt bad for usurping this moment from him, but he still reveled in the comfort his partners brought him. 

 

He sighed. “I really am proud of you, Laf. So proud. I'm just going to miss you, is all.”

 

That wasn't all. Not by half. And they all knew it. But it was still true, regardless, and they all felt the same. 

 

“I know, mon petit. I will miss you all as well. Should I-,” Laf hesitated. 

 

Alex looked up to see what caused Laf to pause. He saw the same wariness as when Laf first presented the letter to them. Like he was scared of it himself. 

 

“Should I not accept the position?” he asked, voice smaller than any of them would like. 

 

Then it was a rush of Alex, John, and Hercules to switch gears again and reassure Laf.  _ Of course _ he was taking the position. He'd worked  _ years _ for just such an opportunity and he was  _ not _ throwing that away for them. 

 

They all knew this could happen, had talked about it as a group when Laf approached them about applying. They encouraged him then. Advised him to pursue his goals and assured him they had his back one hundred percent. They knew the possibilities. It was just altogether different, thinking on possibilities and being presented with realities.

 

“Love,” Hercules said, “this is your dream. You're definitely going.”

 

“Yeah, man. You've worked hard for this. Besides, this is finally your chance to bring us all to your home in Paris like you've been talking about forever,” John added. 

 

“Exactly,” Alex concurred. He smiled again, and it was the first real one since the acceptance was announced. “You finally get to take us around and let us be ridiculous tourists when we come visit you.”

 

Laf laughed, a bubble of a sob stuck in his throat, too, but the laugh was genuine. “I would love to play tour guide when you visit me.” 

 

And his smile was blinding, happy that his partners were rooting for him in this, were supporting him. Laf knew they were in for changes. But they could make it work. They would make it work. 

 

______

 

The next month before Laf relocated was a tizzy of packing and settling things in New York. Alex, Herc, and John all laughed at the astronomical amount of  _ things _ Laf was trying to take. 

 

“But I need it!” Laf whined when Hercules held up something they'd all tried and failed to fit into Laf's overstuffed suitcases. 

 

“Sweetheart, do you? Like really,” Alex asked, exasperated, stepping up to eye the contraption in Hercules' grasp. 

 

“Alexander!” Laf gasped. “Do you have any inkling of what this hair requires?!” he asked, grabbing fists full of said luxurious hair. “I need that and more!”

 

Both John and Herc snorted, if for different reasons. John's curls required a level of maintenance that exhausted him regularly so he understood fully. Herc's hair was too short for him to empathize, but he'd been on the end of one of Laf's rants about his hair far too many times to count. Alex, whose hair did what it pleased without much intervention from Alex, beyond a casual hand ruffle or nervous finger combing, was in no state to judge. 

 

“If you say so,” Alex responded with an eye roll, but took the thing from Herc and attempted, again, to find room for it somewhere among Laf's packed bags. 

 

“How are you going to unpack all this stuff alone?” John wondered, looking around at the numerous luggage bags Laf was taking. 

 

“I've no idea, mon amour” Laf conceded. “But it comes!” he yelled again, just in case anyone tried to convince him he didn't need everything he was taking. 

 

Herc and John held up their hands in surrender while Alex grunted, giving a final push, followed by a triumphant cheer after he'd gotten Laf's hair gismo zipped into one of his bags. 

 

“Perfect!” Laf clapped, smiling fondly at Alex as he smirked at his own accomplishment, small as it was. 

 

Laf looked around one last time, making sure everything was in order. Tomorrow was the big day, where he'd fly across the ocean and be home in France once more, but be leaving the home he'd made of and with his partners for years now. 

 

Laf was smiling, but didn't notice the tear that had slipped down his face until Hercules came over and wiped it off. Herc smiled softly at Lafayette, like he understood everything Laf was feeling then. 

 

“It'll be okay,” Herc whispered. “We'll make it work.”

 

“Alright, ladies!” John clapped loudly, not wanting to be caught in yet another of the tear fests they'd all broken into throughout the last month. “Everything is packed. Dinner is cooked. Laf's clothes are set out for tomorrow. We had that massive going away party last week at the Schuylers’. Let's not mention the goings on there, though, mkay? And now all that's left is for us to eat, bathe, and SLEEP.” 

 

He said sleep like he hadn't gotten any in days, weeks. And in truth, with the suddenness of the news and the flurry of packing and settling business and just saying goodbye to everyone they knew, on top of the worry they each carried about the change in their dynamic, none of them had gotten the best sleep the last month. 

 

What they had gotten, however, was a marked increase in their sex life. Oh, the were certainly active before the news, but it was nothing compared to the frenzy and frequency with which they took each other now. All desperate to get as much of each other as they could before one of their number was missing for months on end. All desperate to pour as much affection and love into Laf as they could, so he went to Paris so full of them it was impossible to forget. Desperate to take so much love and affection from Laf that they never forgot what it felt like. 

 

Those nights (and days, and afternoons, and evenings, and stolen moments in both public and private spaces), both filled the boys to the brim and left them wanting, knowing the times were numbered. 

 

They fell onto the couch, plates of dinner in hand. They'd never been a formal bunch, though they used to sit around the table in the kitchen for meals. But they'd discovered recently that the four corners of the table put just too much distance between them. Knocked knees and playing footsie and teasing looks from a space of a foot or two wasn't cutting it anymore. So they'd taken to collapsing on the couch, where they could become a tangled mess of limbs and stolen food and play fights and cuddling. It was perfect. 

 

After dinner, they all adjourned to the bathroom with their massive shower. They'd had it installed because they adored joint showers in pairs or as a collective, but in the spirit of their silent “spend copious amounts of time together before Laf leaves” plan, showers all together had become their norm the last month. 

 

They bathed each other and played and splashed and washed each other's hair. The shower was no stranger to their recent sex craze, either. Ranging from quick hand- or blow-jobs or fucks against the walls, to full on lovemaking where they steamed up the stall more than the hot water could ever dream of doing, they made good and excessive use of all their shower had to offer. This last night was no different, encompassing both the hard-and-fast fucking and soft-and-slow lovemaking they were just so good at. 

 

When they got out, and everyone had finished taking care of their nightly routines, they fell into bed, exhausted both from each other and the stress of the last month. They formed a pile on top of Laf, who laughed at being suffocated but reveled in the wonderful crush of it all anyway. 

 

It was unclear who started the kissing, whether it began as a goodnight thing or no, but soon it was a free for all. Them kissing first one partner then another until everyone was involved and often they found themselves kissing two people at a time or kissing one but had another or two attached to a different part of their body. Eventually it morphed into everyone kissing just Laf, while he lay there being worshipped by his partners. 

 

Laf was overloaded. One partner attached to his lips while another laid claim to his neck with licks and nips and full bites. There were lips sliding down his body, getting ever closer to his dick and the anticipation and combined sensations sent shivers through Laf's frame. 

 

And all the lips would move and trade places. Laf was never sure just who was moving where on his body. He could know who was kissing him where, knew the taste and shape of each of his partners’ mouths, if only he could string two intelligible thoughts together at a time. As it was, every coherent thought in Laf's head was kissed and sucked away when someone-  _ John _ \- finally engulfed Laf's dick between his lips. 

 

Laf screamed, or would have, were there any air in his lungs at all. Since there wasn't, a gasp was the only encouragement John received. But knowing John, it was all he needed. While Herc devoured Laf's mouth and Alex made artwork out of hickeys and bite marks along Laf's neck and chest, John worked Laf's dick exactly how he knew Laf liked. And since the other partners were too busy to see to other of Laf's orifices, John wet two fingers with his tongue and then danced them along Laf's perineum before circling his hole. 

 

Laf jumped in John's mouth, forcing his dick further down John's throat. But John was ready for him, knew how sensitive Laf was to these kind of touches, and happily sucked him further into his mouth, humming his satisfaction at Laf's responses. The humming only caused Laf to shiver more and let out a long, guttural moan that was quickly captured by Hercules’ lips. 

 

John pressed a finger in slowly. Spit wasn't ideal lubricant and wouldn't ease the burn by much, but at this point, Laf might be so aroused to be loose enough to accept a finger or two. John glanced up to gauge Laf's reaction and saw Alex's mouth attached to one of Laf's nipples while Hercules tweaked the other even while ravaging Laf's lips. Laf could only whimper in the face of all the stimuli. 

 

John noticed one of Alex's hands start to whisper along Laf's hips, long ago found erogenous zones, while the other opened the drawer to their bedside table. John soon found himself in possession of their well-used lube bottle. Bless. 

 

He retracted his hand from Laf's hole, to renewed whimpers from Laf, to squirt some onto his fingers and warm it. When the fingers returned and went deeper, John felt Laf relax from the inside, clearly happy to finally have something in him. 

 

John pumped the fingers inside Laf while his tongue circled and teased the dick between his lips. Laf squirmed in their hold, but none of his partners let up their assault on his senses. 

 

When Hercules finally broke the kiss so they could both breathe, choosing instead to rain endless kisses on every part of Laf's face, Laf took the opportunity to moan louder, and whisper broken encouragements to his lovers, in both French and English. 

 

“Ah-... mon Dieu… Alex, please…. JOHN! Doux Seigneur, n'arrête pas…. Herc. Herc. Kiss me. Please. Embrasse moi. S’il vous plaît.”

 

They all happily gave in to his requests.

 

Since Alex and Herc had the northern campaign well covered and John was suddenly in possession of lube, he slowly withdrew his fingers from Laf in favor of preparing himself. Laf tried to complain about the loss of fingers until John increased the pressure on the dick in his mouth. 

 

And when John released Laf's dick to line himself up, Laf finally nodded in understanding and spread his legs wider. 

 

It was cliché, but it was like coming home, sinking into Laf. It was home whenever John pressed himself into one of his partners, or they found their way into him. It was home and it was a prayer and it was revelation and it was a benediction, this sex act between any and all of them. And John wasn't sure how any of them were going to deal with a piece of their soul missing for so long. 

 

And the emotion drove John on. He meant to avoid this. Didn't mean to let loose the waterworks again until  _ at least _ after Laf was already gone and he had a reason to. He didn't mean to start missing Lafayette before he'd even gone anywhere. 

 

But Laf saw him and understood. They all did. Laf gently brushed aside the hands and lips that had been seeking to drive him to madness and desire. He lifted his arms to John and entreated him into them, in a voice that was ravaged by all their previous activities. 

 

“Come here, mon coeur,” Laf bid. John went  and was soothed.

 

The rest of their coupling was softer. The frenzy had died down and John's thrusts were slower. Alex's caresses and Herc's kisses and John's depth all served to build Laf up to a calmer orgasm. Contrasting greatly with the manic pinnacle they'd been driving Laf to before, what finally overtook him was a washing of pleasure that spread through the whole of him. Laf felt like a beach as the tide comes and goes, softly lapping at his shores. His bones went lax as his heart rate struggled to return to normal. 

 

Laf felt John still working in him until he, too, shuddered and collapsed on Laf, sending a fresh wave of tingles throughout Laf's frame. Laf somehow raised the energy to crane his neck and kiss the crown of John's curly head. 

 

He lifted his arms, barely, urging Herc and Alex to each other, to finish each other. Alexander and Hercules scrambled together, smashing their lips together and grasping at each other, hands finally finding each other's dick and moving each other to completion. 

 

They both fell in a shuddery mess upon the bed. Laf looked at them and smiled, hands deeply tangled in the wilds of John's hair from where he was still collapsed on Laf's chest. 

 

Hercules recovered first and raised up, with a mind for everyone's comfort, to head to the bathroom for a damp towel. They would all definitely need another shower before taking Laf to the airport. 

_______

 

It was a tearful goodbye, after a long morning of 5am sex followed by another shower and a lazy breakfast, before the frantic checking that everything was in order. Laf worked himself into a tizzy, sure he had forgotten  _ something _ , before Hercules gently reminded him that if there was anything he forgot, they could just mail it to him. 

 

Alex, John, and Herc went with Laf all the way through getting his ticket and walking him to the security line. Holding his bags and his hands and anything else of Laf's that they could lay their hands on before it would no longer be an option. 

 

They collapsed into another four-man-standing cuddle pile, squeezing the breath out of Laf. Murmured goodbyes and reassurances and love declarations that were already ingrained into all of their skins. They all tried to hold in their tears. None of them were successful, all bawling by the time they released Laf to let him go through security, pushing the time as long as they dared for his international flight. 

 

They stood and watched as Laf was security checked and walked to the other end. He turned, spotting them in the distance, and lifted a hand. He tried to smile, but it was a broken thing. None of them really capable of reassuring themselves, let alone the others right then. 

 

“I love you,” Laf mouthed, then turned with his carry ons and walked in the direction of his gate. 

Alex broke down again upon seeing it. It wasn't goodbye. Not really. They weren't breaking up or anything, but it felt like an ending. An ending Alex would never be ready for. 

 

Alex whipped his phone out, ready to call or text Laf immediately, but Hercules stilled his hand. 

 

“Give it at least ten minutes so he can find his gate and settle down, Alex,” he said. 

 

“I was just going to text the group chat and tell him we love him, too! He needs to know!” Alex yelled, frantic. 

 

Hercules hugged him. “He knows, Alex. But go ahead.”

 

Alexander freed his arms from Herc's grip enough to pull his phone in front of him and let his fingers fly across the keys. 

 

**SmashingEveryExpectation** : WE LOVE YOU, TOO!!!!!!! HAVE A SAFE FLIGHT! CALL US WHEN YOU GET TO YOUR GATE AND WHEN YOU BOARD AND WHEN YOU ARRIVE AND WHEN YOU GET HOME!!!!

 

**ZeroToHero** : Cosigned.^^^ We love you, Laf! Safe trip! We'll be calling you all day and night, so be prepared for that. 

 

**PintSizedPunchline** : Double cosigned. And don't think Alex doesn't have a chart with all your departure and arrival times so we know EXACTLY when you should be arriving and if we don't hear from you within fifteen minutes of when you should arrive, we're booking flights to you. 

 

**SmashingEveryExpectation** : I've already got them in my shopping cart. I just need to hit purchase. 

 

**LaffyTaffy** : LOL! Mes amours! Calm down! I love you, too. I will be fine. Do not worry. I will FaceTime you when I settle at my gate. That will help, yes?

 

**SmashingEveryExpectation** : YES!

 

**ZeroToHero** : Yes!

 

**PintSizedPunchline** : Yyeeesss!!!

 

Talking to Laf via FaceTime did help. At least while they were all still in the airport, on the same strip of land. It was a balm until Laf was airborne and the others got home, where they realized it was nothing more than a bandaid on a gunshot wound. 

 

This apartment contained no Lafayette. 

 

Alex gasped upon entering it, like he’d forgotten and walking in the apartment was a physical reminder, like he could literally feel Laf's absence. And John's shoulders sunk, like the piece of him that was needed to hold him up went missing. Herc sighed, feeling his own shoulders drag, and gathered his present partners to him. 

 

“We're okay. We're going to be okay. All of us.”

 

It had to be true. 

 

In the meantime, Herc ushered his small lovers to the couch where they wrapped around each other for comfort. Herc made his way to the kitchen to prepare lunch and start dinner, knowing if he left it up to either Alex or John, none of them would eat, likely for the rest of the week. They probably wouldn't even move or speak until eight hours had passed and it was time for Lafayette to call. It would be evening in Paris when he arrived, and Hercules knew he'd be jetlagged and cranky, though hopefully not too tired to talk to them for a little while. 

 

Hercules knew tonight was for comfort foods and so made chili from his grandmother's recipe for himself and asopao for Alex and John from a recipe they'd found online long ago and liked. Herc was hoping their favorite food would entice them into eating. Alex skipped meals on the best of days and this was far from one. Herc worried John's stress and grief would stave off his appetite. But Laf wouldn't like them not eating and Hercules wouldn't have it. 

 

Hercules finished the meals, then took the plates with lunch to his guys on the couch. They looked up at him as he handed them the plates and he leveled them with a flat look. They  _ would _ eat. But Hercules settled himself between them so they could cuddle into his larger frame and they all proceeded to eat in silence, John and Alex noticeably slower than Hercules. But they ate, and that's all that mattered to Herc for now. 

 

They sat together and absorbed the silence and silently acknowledged their missing link, trying to tell themselves to adjust to it. This was their new reality for awhile. 

 

When Laf finally did call, Alex's phone blaring Laf's ringtone, Alex scrambled from Hercules’ hold to retrieve it. It was another FaceTime call and Laf looked about as dead as his voice sounded. Hercules internally winced. Rough flight. 

 

“Hello, loves,” Laf said, voice gravelly. 

 

“Hi, Laf,” Alex responded, smiling softly just seeing Laf, worn out as he was. 

 

“How was your flight?” John asked him, though they could all see it had done a number on Lafayette. 

 

Laf laughed a bit bitterly. “ _ Rough _ .” They could all hear the word punctuated with exasperation. “I spent the first part of it crying and missing you all, and the rest of it hearing an unhappy baby crying in economy and a bratty child kicking my seat repeatedly despite several requests for him to stop. It was a long flight,” he sighed. “How are you all? Did you make it to the gym like you planned, Herc? Had lunch? Dinner? My head is so boggled I do not know the time here, let alone back in New York.”

 

“Poor baby,” Herc said, in sympathy for his uneasy flight. “I didn't make it to gym, no. Too distracted with cooking. Maybe in the morning. We did eat lunch a couple hours ago, though I've got dinner ready on the stove. Grandma's chili for me and asopao for these layabouts.”

 

“Oooh. Pulling out all the stops,” Laf sighed, wistfully. “I'd love some of both of those.”

 

“Sorry. Couldn't have any liquids in the carry on. But I did pack you some homemade macarons in there,” Herc told him. 

 

Laf gasped excitedly before removing his carry ons from his shoulder and began searching. 

 

Alex squawked watching as Laf undid all their careful packing in search of a confection. 

 

“You can't start unpacking in the middle of the airport!” Alex practically yelled. “At least wait until you get home.”

 

“My driver isn't here yet because we taxied early. I'll just have him help me gather my stuff if need be,” Laf commented, head nearly buried in his bag as he dug. 

 

He found the macarons and gasped happily again, pulling his treasure out and looking at his phone to see Alex and Herc exchanging a glance. Laf remembered then that they were New Yorkers in all but birth. People did not generally help one another just because in New York City. John didn't look as surprised. Southern hospitality and all that. 

 

“Anyway, mon amours, it is of no matter now, yes? I have found them and survived to tell the tale! My bag will be closed again soon.”

 

Laf unwrapped the macarons and took a bite of one, moaning at the taste in such a way that it had his partners all forgetting about his bag completely. 

 

John groaned. “Come on, Laf. You can't make a noise like  _ that _ , and be all the way in France. Play fair, now.”

 

Laf winked at John and continued his moaning, enough so to draw attention from those around him. John, Alex, and Herc could see passersby looking over at Laf to find the source of the moans. Many seemed to notice the macarons in his hand and lost interest. This was Paris, after all. The Parisians were no strangers to the delights to the tastebuds that was a good pastry.

 

“Hercules, I may bring you here just to make me more of these,” Laf told him. 

 

Hercules smiled and blushed. “You'll bring me there anyway, to see your beautiful art hanging in the museum you're directing.”

 

Laf blushed himself and laughed lightly. “Soon, love.”

 

“When does your ride get there? You've told them about all your luggage, yeah?” Alex asked. 

“Oui. They should be arriving any minute now. They have been contracted to either help or bring someone to help me lug it all into my house. I cannot wait to see it again! It has been closed for many years now, since I've been in America, but I hired the old caretakers to reopen it all. You'll all have beautiful rooms to yourselves, as well as our master suite, when you come.”

 

“Most times, I forget you're a marquis, Laf, and all the old money that entails,” Herc noted. 

 

“Yes, well, it is a dead title now. But my family did cling to it. And it adds a nice ring to my list of names, no? Anyway. We did keep a fair bit of the money and property. Namely this house!” Laf gushed.

 

His partners all smiled at his exuberance and how it put a little life back into his face. 

 

“Did you sleep on the plane at all?” John asked. 

 

Laf sighed. “Unfortunately not, between the baby and the kicker. But do not worry. I will go home and crash, as you say.”

 

His partners smiled at the slang that still did not always come naturally to Laf. 

 

“Good,” Herc said. “And you'll call us when you get home?”

 

“Yes! And take you on a video tour of the house. Well, maybe just the way to my room for now. Perhaps a full tour tomorrow after I've slept, yes?” Laf promised. 

 

“Sounds good,” Herc smiled. 

 

They soon let Laf go to sort himself out as his driver arrived. They did talk to him again in the car, but could tell he was drifting into sleep during the conversation. After he'd arrived at home and the driver had left, Laf called them again to give them a brief tour of the house. 

 

“That's not a house, that's a palace!” John exclaimed. 

 

“Yes, well. Old money. And I have seen pictures of your plantation abode, Jonathan,” Laf said with an eye roll. 

 

“More old money,” John noted. “And I don't like remembering where it came from. ALSO! My full name is John, Mr. Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette.”

 

“Oui, but ‘John’ does not roll off the tongue quite like ‘Jonathan’ when you need a scolding,” Laf winked at him. 

 

“I'll give you a scolding,” John teasingly threatened. 

 

“Oh la la.” Another wink. 

 

“You two can go ahead and stop being this cute, please,” Hercules said, smiling at their antics. 

 

Lafayette laughed. “You are right. It is now time for bed. Goodnight, loves. I will talk to you in the morning.”

 

“Bye!” the rest shouted into the phone, waving at Laf. 

 

Laf blew them all a kiss and disconnected the call. 

 

Hercules, John, and Alex looked at each other. 

 

“What now?” Alex asked them. 

 

“Now,” Hercules said, raising himself up from the couch. “It's time for dinner.”

 

“Day one,” John quietly added. 

 

______

 

Day one stretched into days two and three, which stretched into weeks four and five which hit months before any of them were really aware of it. 

 

They felt the loss, of course. Sometimes you don't realize just how intimate and intricate a person is in your life until they're gone. 

 

For Laf's part, he hadn't slept alone in years and even after two months was not used to the sensation again. He could not find a comfortable spot on this bed that used to be so familiar and was now a desert wasteland and Laf's only oasis was a swath of bed 3,600 miles away. He imagined his loves on it and cried some nights that he wasn't with them. 

 

It was just as hard for everyone else, in ways little and big. Not only was Laf's presence definitely missing in their bed, but his influence also resonated throughout their daily routines, which were now off. Laf was the one that often helped Alex tame his hair; and now with him gone, Alex often struggled with it, growing frustrated and angry until John or Hercules calmed him down and helped. 

 

John missed Laf's critiques to his own art. They were all artists--John with his drawings, Herc with his clothing, Alex with his words--but John missed Laf's visual artist’s eye on things he was working on. Having Laf look over them via FaceTime just wasn't enough. Not to mention Laf couldn't kiss John in his happiness when he was either amused or impressed with John's work. 

 

Herc missed Laf's calming influence. Alex and John had similar tempers and could similarly go off at each other. Emotions, already running high due to Laf's absence, were exacerbated. Laf was the best at playing mediator when the two smaller men were angry at each other and Herc came in later and finished soothing hurt feelings. He sometimes struggled in playing mediator with not yelling at either or both John and Alex and making the situation that much worse. They never called Laf during these times of fighting. The fights were never important enough to disturb him over and were rarely important enough to have been fights to begin with. 

 

But they did call Laf. Frequently. They talked to him daily, whether through their group and individual text chats or called him over FaceTime, even got a little creative with the phone sex thing. They all still laughed together, smiled and joked together, cried together, but the missing was potent. 

 

They could all tell Laf bore the brunt of it, since he was alone in Paris and Alex, John, and Herc still had each other. Laf smiled and laughed whenever he talked to them, but they could all see the loneliness seeping out of him. He was making contacts in the art world, reconnecting with old acquaintances and family friends, getting to know people that would hopefully become friends themselves. But none of the above were his partners. 

 

Which is why Herc, John, and Alex were planning to pop over to Paris and surprise Laf in two weeks. They all knew they were going to visit Laf, absolutely refused to go several months or years at a time without seeing him, but they had yet to work out a particular visitation schedule. 

 

Laf was too new to directing that he didn't want to start using his vacation time already. He already traveled a fair bit--looking into acquiring new pieces for the museum, checking on reception for pieces his museum had loaned, acting as a consultant on verification of authenticity for pieces. It was Laf's dream job. His exhausting, dream job. 

 

John and Alex, on the other hand, had been working for George Washington in some capacity for years and were well established there. Beyond that, George was a personal friend and could see how Laf's absence had affected not only their mental and emotional states, but their work ethic. He practically pushed John and Alex out the door and bid them have a good time. He told them to give Laf his and Martha's greetings and did ask them to bring them some French pastries, though. It had apparently been years since they'd made it to France. 

 

Hercules was in business for himself. Once they decided they were set to leave, he was posting a sign on his door and flipping his Welcome sign to Closed. He'd been picking up extra orders to make up for the time away, but he'd also left email contact information for those that wanted to place orders in his absence. 

 

___

 

The time was quickly approaching for them to leave to head to the airport. Alex was running around with his checklist, making sure they had absolutely everything. Hercules was standing at the door with the bags that definitely had absolutely everything because they went through them again just this morning. They were only leaving for two weeks. Whatever they didn't have, they could surely buy or survive without. 

 

John trailed after Alex, trying to hurry him along, assuring him that no, they  _ didn't _ need this particular thing or that. “It'll be fine until we get back, Alex.” 

 

When time ran out, John sighed in exasperation, grabbed Alex's hand and one of their bags, and dragged both out to the taxi waiting for them on the curb. Hercules laughed and grabbed the other two bags, joining them in the taxi. 

 

“Wait!” Alex yelled. “Who has Laf's keys?!”

 

“I do,” Hercules said, dangling them from his finger. 

 

Laf had sent them copies of his house keys and his address the first week he was in Paris. It was going to be so easy to surprise him. 

 

“Oh good,” Alex said, settling down for all of two seconds as the cab drove off. “Wait!” he yelled again, lurching forward like he was going to stop the car himself. “Where are our passports?!”

 

“I've got them right here, Alex. Calm down,” John said, pulling them out of a zippered pocket on his suitcase. 

 

“And the tickets?” Alex asked. 

 

“We've all got electronic copies on our phones, and you've got the paper copies in your top suitcase pocket, just in case,” Hercules reminded him. 

 

Alex scrambled to open the pocket and verify, again, the paper tickets were where they were supposed to be. He sighed to himself and sat back, finally, after confirming they were present. 

 

“Sorry,” he told them. “I'm just feeling anxious. My mind is absolutely whirring. I'm so excited for this and my brain just keeps supplying everything that could go wrong so I'm trying to preempt it and make sure nothing does.”

 

“We know, baby,” John said, dragging Alex to him so he could kiss his temple. “But everything is going to be fine. We've got everything, we'll get to the airport in plenty of time to check in and get through security and get settled, and we'll be on our way to Laf in just a few hours.”

 

“And then we'll arrive in Paris,” Herc added, “surprise Laf, have sex, take a tour of the city and his museum, eat dinner, take a tour of his house and have more sex, Christening every room that we can in two weeks.” 

 

A not-so-discreet cough from the front seat reminded Hercules they were very much not alone in the car. Herc gave a laugh and an awkward smile, almost apologetic but not for the up-close look into he and his partners’ sex life. 

 

Alex was not perturbed at all, sighing again and settling more comfortably between John and Herc. “Good plan,” he said, and closed his eyes,  trying to relax for the remainder of the ride. 

 

They got to the airport without any other mishaps. Their thorough preparations had them through check in, security, and at their gates within half an hour. They still had two hours yet before their flight, so Hercules and John decided to wander the airport while Alex agreed to watch the bags. He'd alert them if there were any changes with the flight. 

 

Their time wandering the airport was mostly uneventful, though John and Herc found some cheesy NYC trinkets that they got for Laf. They thought he'd love them--laugh at them and let them remind him of home. 

 

When they returned to Alex, he was on a phone call with Laf. They all preferred FaceTime calls, but Alex didn't want Laf to know they were in the airport. Hercules motioned to Alex that he'd better wrap the call up if he didn't want the airline agent to announce the flight and give the whole gig up. They would begin boarding in five minutes. 

 

Alex wrapped the call, looking and sounding sad to do so, but cheered when John reminded him they'd actually be  _ seeing _ Laf by the end of the day. It was a good reminder. 

 

The flight was also uneventful, though the two meals provided by the airline were nice, as were the individual televisions in each chair back. Hercules caught up on both sleep and a show he'd missed the last couple weeks. 

 

John mostly spent the time napping and doodling on some paper he brought. Alex tried reading, napping, and watching tv, but he spent the majority of the flight in his own head. Hercules could practically see him itching for the chance the write down whatever he'd been thinking about for hours. 

 

When they landed, they were all tired, despite the sleep two of them actually managed. There was just something about long flights that is draining. Still, they gathered their bags, trudged off the plane, and made their way into the airport. 

 

Navigating was effortless since Alex and John were fluent in French. Hercules was a touch above conversational, and that he'd picked up from schooling eons ago and his partners the last several years.

 

They converted some money in the airport, hopped a cab, and made their way to Laf's home to deposit their bags. It was a palace, just as John had originally described, but they could all see how it could be cozy for a large family. Well, the four of them weren't large, but they could make enough noise that they'd been accused of housing dozens more than once. 

 

They wandered the house, trying to remember the first video tour Laf had given them months ago so they could find his-- _ their _ \--room. They got lost. A lot. But they eventually stumbled upon the room that was the most lived in and scattered with Laf's personal effects. 

 

They smiled happily, seeing so much of Laf in this room when so much of him was missing from back in their apartment in New York. Not that Laf had taken everything. He'd left some clothes, some trinkets, other things. One of Laf's favorite blankets often found its way onto their bed or the couch with the rest of them. It had stopped smelling like Laf weeks ago, but the reminder of its presence at all was nice. 

 

And looking around, they all noticed personal effects of all of theirs that Laf had brought along. One of Alex's many hoodies was draped across the back of a chair and one of the more distinct poems he'd written Laf was propped up on the bedside table. Several of John's drawings were framed and hanging on the walls of the bedroom, and one of his comfiest oversized sweaters was thrown across Laf's pillow. One of the blankets Hercules had knit Laf was folded on the end of the bed, and they could see a clothing item or two that Hercules had made or apparently used to own hanging in Laf's closet across the room. Several pictures of the four of them dotted the space, on the dresser and walls and table. Seemed they all needed that little piece of each other. 

 

After hiding their luggage in the back of Laf's closet, Herc, Alex, and John argued  _ just _ how to surprise Laf. They couldn't decide if they should let him come upon them in the house, or if they should go meet him at work, or go order food and bring it back so Laf had something to eat when he returned, or--.

 

The choice was taken from them when they heard keys in the door downstairs and someone enter. Clearly, their search for the bedroom had taken longer than any of them had thought. 

 

“Crap! Everyone! Hide!” Alex whisper-yelled. 

 

It was a scramble for them to all try to find hiding places within the room. The room was large, but open. It didn't offer much opportunity for obscuring oneself behind doors or furniture. While Alex hid behind the bedroom door and John dashed into the closet, Hercules was just contemplating looking for the nearest bathroom when Laf stepped into the bedroom and stopped dead in his tracks. 

 

“...Herc?” he whispered, stunned. His eyes were widening and his mouth was opening and closing without sound. 

 

Alex poked his head out from behind the door and John stepped out of the closet with a small smile on his face. When Laf saw them, his mouth worked a bit more without success, but his eyes started watering and a few tears escaped. When Laf found his voice, it was in the form of a scream of joy. Seconds later, he had thrown himself at Hercules with John and Alex joining the hug moments later. 

 

They were yet again a four-man-standing cuddle pile and it was almost like no time at all had passed. They were together again and it was several minutes before the pile broke up. When it did loosen, Laf tried speaking again, with variable success. 

 

“What? When?  _ How?! _ ” he gasped out between the tears that were still pouring from his eyes. 

 

Herc smiled at him, wiped the tears from his cheeks, and kissed him.  _ GOD _ , how he'd missed this. It had been entirely too long. Herc tightened his grip on Laf and deepened the kiss, only going further when Laf moaned into the embrace. Herc could have let it go on forever, had John and Alex not pushed him aside, saying he was taking too long and demanding their own turns.

 

Laf laughed at them and embraced John next, where he took control of the kiss himself, burying his fingers into John's wild curls and dragging the smaller man against his chest. If John was surprised, he certainly wasn't complaining, winding his arms around Laf's neck and holding tight. When they pulled back for breath, Laf took to kissing all over John's face, like he wanted to kiss each and every freckle he found there. 

 

When this went on too long and Alex started to whine he'd been forgotten, John reluctantly released his hold on Laf and allowed Alex his turn. Alex wasted no time in literally jumping on Laf and wrapping his legs around the taller man's waist. Laf laughed again and secured his arms around Alex's back. 

 

“God, I've missed you,” Alex said before  _ devouring _ Laf's mouth. 

 

Like any other competition with Alex, his opponent had absolutely no chance to get a word or action in edgewise once he got going. Laf was overwhelmed but had absolutely no problem being dominated in this. He'd missed his little whirlwind. And, boy, did he feel the storm taking over him from Alex's kiss. There wasn't just love and affection and missing in the kiss. There was also so much lust locked there that Laf was certain that the only reason he wasn't already stripped and on the bed and taking or being taken was because Alex would have had to release him at some point to accomplish it all. 

 

But Laf didn't think that excuse would last much longer. 

 

“Alright, you little monkey,” Herc said, literally plucking Alex off of Laf. “Share.”

 

Alex huffed but didn't try to resume his previous position. Laf couldn't stop smiling at them all. 

 

“What are you all  _ doing _ here?” he finally managed to ask.

 

“Two months is too damn long,” Alex said. 

 

“We missed you,” John smiled. 

 

“A LOT,” Herc interjected. 

 

Laf laughed again. He couldn't  _ help _ it. He was just so surprised and happy. The joy was absolutely bubbling out of him and if he didn't keep laughing, he'd weep all over them again. His boys. 

 

“I missed you all, too. So much.” And despite his wishes, more happy/sad tears fell from Laf's eyes. He wiped them away quickly. “How?”

 

“You know GWash loves us,” Alex said. 

 

“He said hi, by the way. And made us promise to bring him pastries,” John added. 

 

“And I just put the closed sign on the door of the shop,” Herc shrugged. “Though I've already got an email or two for possible commissions when I get back.”

 

“How long are you staying?” Laf asked. He wanted them to say ‘Forever’ but knew they wouldn't. 

 

“Two weeks.”

 

A far cry from forever, but longer than Laf thought they'd manage. “I'm so happy you're here.”

 

“Oh, babe,” John grasped his hand. “There's nowhere else we'd rather be.”

 

“Now,” Hercules said. “We had a bit of a plan before getting here. Might have to rearrange the details a bit.”

 

“I do believe a copious amount of sex was on that schedule. As a matter of fact, I do believe it was next on the list, right after ‘Surprise Laf,’” Alex added helpfully, throwing a roguish smirk at Laf. 

 

Laf winked him at, completely in line with this plan. But “What else was on this schedule of events?”

 

“Um, tour the city, your museum, your house, and eat dinner. The sex included every room of the house, though, and was expected to take the two weeks,” John supplied. 

 

“Well we can certainly get started on that first room immediately. I've this great big bed that's been waiting on you all to get here. And perhaps dinner and the house tour after?” Laf suggested. 

 

“If we let you out of this bed to be an after,” Alex told him, salacious smirk still firmly in place. 

 

Laf blushed, but practically started vibrating in anticipation. It had been SO LONG. “Then perhaps we should order the food first, oui?”

 

“Yes,” rang the chorus of Herc, John, and Alex. 

_____ 

 

Their vacation to Paris was wonderful and in the way of vacations, too short. Laf took them all over Paris and there was still more to see when they left. They kept their promise and were complete tourists, seeing the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre-Dame de Paris, the Arc de Triomph, the Palace of Versailles, the catacombs, and Moulin Rouge. Laf also took them to the hidden corners of Paris that tourists had to work hard to stumble upon, the natural treasures that weren't just kept up because they were so often in the public eye. 

 

(“I've got enough pictures to make like four photo albums.” “You're still gonna take more, though, right?” “Of course.”)

 

They couldn't reach their goal for sex in every room of the house, though. The place was just too big. They'd have to take it section by section on subsequent visits. But their failure didn't mean they didn't give it a valiant effort. They went at each other like they were making up for years of lost time rather than months. Lafayette, whose body was so out of practice for these activities, felt so well-used by the end of the second week that his legs felt like jelly more often than not. But he gave just as good as he got, and none of his partners would be forgetting it any time soon. 

 

(“Oh my GAWD! How do you still have any energy?!” “I've been waiting months for this, John. Are you ready for more?” “Ugh. YES!”)

 

And the food! If there was one thing the French knew, it was food. They indulged so much and had absolutely zero regrets, though their stomachs protested more than once. Laf took them to endless patisseries and bakeries and more restaurants than they could name. They had chicken marengo and soufflés and moules à la crème Normande and So. Much. BREAD. Alex and John did not forget to collect George and Martha some pastries. In spades. 

 

(“This is so goooood. Do you think the chef would give me the recipe?” “And risk you putting him out of business? Hercules, mon cher, I think not.” “Ugh. FINE!”)

 

Their trip was over far too soon, but the best part about it was that it set a precedent. They would not go more than two or three months without seeing each other. Whether John, Hercules, and/or Alex took short week or weekend trips to Paris, or Laf came home for holidays or manipulated his work travel flights so he could have an overnight layover in New York before moving on to somewhere else, or what. But they decided they couldn't and  _ wouldn't _ do the absence for months on end thing. 

 

(“I refuse.” “Agreed.” “Agreed.” “Agreed.”)

 

_____ 

 

This resolve was helped along by an increase in popularity for both Lafayette and Hercules, and talks of possible promotions in the coming quarters for John and Alex. 

 

Laf still painted even while he directed the museum. It was not only a pleasure of his, but it helped him unwind from a job that was as fulfilling as it was draining. Laf loved what he did, and gave almost all he had into making it a success. What he didn't give to his partners, he gave to his job and his art. And his partners were so much a part of his artistry that he sometimes tied them into one. 

 

Lately, Lafayette had been selling his art. And Paris, being the hub of art and culture that it was, was getting to know his name. Laf was no longer just the art historian and director at one of the biggest museums in Paris, he was also now the brilliant mind behind the paintings in some of the biggest names in Paris’ homes. 

 

There were galleries approaching Laf about possible showings. Others asked him if his own works would soon be featured in the very museum he directed. Laf could barely fathom such notions and gushed to his partners regularly about it. 

 

**LaffyTaffy** : I cannot BELIEVE!

 

**SmashingEveryExpectation** : !!!!!

 

**ZeroToHero** : !!!!!!

 

**PintSizedPunchline** : !!!!!!!!!!

 

For Herc's part, his business was booming. He was already doing good business and making a name for himself in New York City, one of the top four fashion capitals of the world. But when he began wearing his own fashions on trips to see Laf in Paris, another of the “Big Four,” as well as Laf wearing Herc's designs, with his own increasing fame, Herc's brand exploded. 

 

Not only were Herc's styles beautiful, versatile, innovative, and (currently) affordable, celebrities of all lists had begun wearing them, prompting an influx of orders from Herc for those seeking to imitate celebrities and inspiring similar styles from those wishing to hop on and benefit from the newest trend. These imitation styles also inadvertently sent yet more business to Herc. 

 

Herc's workload was now so high he actually had to hire in help, which made him sad all his clothes wouldn't have his personal touch anymore but proud that his designs were such a success. Still, Herc kept the business small, not wanting to mass market what still felt intimate to him. But his growing popularity still caught him by surprise whenever he thought about it. 

 

(“Is this really happening to me?” “This and more, buddy! Just you wait!”)

 

Alex and John were doing amazing work at Washington Corporation. George had started it decades ago with Martha as just a financial organization, but it had grown and blossomed and built upon its foundations a conglomerate empire. Its benefit was George had a great interest in learning new things and took a semi active role in several of the sectors his company had acquired and merged with. It all made for a pleasant work environment at its various locations. 

 

Alex was currently head of the New York section of the Marketing Department, a position he had worked up to the last several years. If there was one person that knew how to sell an idea, it was Alex. It was often joked among his staff that he could sell a block of ice to a polar bear. 

 

(“But they already HAVE ice. They don't need anymore.” “That's EXACTLY the point, Alex.”)

 

And in the off chance words weren't enough and his marketing team couldn't come up with any satisfactory visual designs, Alex would go across the street and see John, one of the directors of The Arts Initiative, a subsidiary of Washington Corp. that often collaborated with the Marketing Department, namely because of who was in charge of each. Alex and John were no strangers in each other's buildings and the people had long come to accept and expect them. 

 

Herc and Laf were no strangers, either. Laf had worked with The Arts Initiative, too, before his Paris departure; but he had been involved in recruitment and outreach and as a guest artist on staff. Hercules was just yet more eye candy that came to visit various departments because he was dating two heads and a former employee. 

 

Not to mention they were all extremely close to the Washingtons themselves. Even those employees that had originally shouted favoritism could not deny the exemplary work that was done by John, Alex, and Laf or how it grew the company and benefited the community. And with Hercules’ rising fame, he was yet a welcome addition to the buildings and the prestige of the corporation. 

 

But if heads of local departments and organizations wasn't quite enough, George had recently held meetings with investors and his advisory board about expanding yet again, that would open up new global executive positions. For two of the proposed positions, Alex and John were being considered among a pool of other company members. Alex for the Vice President of Marketing for the entire Washington Corporation, not just the New York branch, and John for Global Art Director. 

 

The benefits of these positions weren't just more responsibility and money, but more travel to oversee branches in other parts of the U.S. and abroad. The spots weren't secured yet and the decision was ultimately up to a vote of the board based on their qualifications and past work, but both Alex and John were very excited for the possibilities. They had been close with Washington long enough to know how upper management worked. Establish a system, get it running, make sure your lower management keeps it running smoothly, and you've opened up a wealth of opportunity for offhand work. The lack of need to come in to work created the chance to travel more for business and pleasure. The chance to see Laf more. 

 

(“What are our chances?” “Exceptionally good. I've crunched some numbers.” “Of course you have.”)

 

By this time it had been a year and a half since Laf had taken the Paris director job. The move had been a struggle and continued to be one. But they'd all learned to adjust in many ways. The missing didn't stop, with sometimes none of them seeing Laf for a couple months at a time. There had been times when one person could get away and the others couldn't, though. Herc's schedule was much more flexible than John or Alex's, so he'd made the opportunity to go to Paris a few times more than they had. This might have caused germs of jealousy within Alex or John, had Herc not brought them back souvenirs and ample pictures of Laf just happy to have ANY of them with him for awhile. They couldn't begrudge that. Besides, they still knew Laf missed all of them.

 

(“Paris is not the same without you! *kissy faces at the camera*)

And there were times Alex or John could get away when Herc was absolutely swamped. Herc would smile and wave them off and send along a care package for Laf since he couldn't give him himself. Plus Laf had begun using his vacation time and schedule manipulation to come home about nine months into his new job, so he was present there sometimes, too, to the great joy of everyone who missed him in New York. 

 

Laf still kept in touch with all his friends back home. His group and individual chats with each of the Schuyler sisters were nearly as legendary as that with his partners, if… marginally less explicit. (Do not underestimate the sisters. Filthy minds, the lot of them.) He talked to Thomas and Madison at least weekly and the Washingtons just as much. George was expecting the gang at his house for Christmas this year and Martha made him swear to bring a Parisian cake. 

 

Alex, John, Laf, and Herc all still talked almost daily, though schedules and travel and workload prevented them from always doing FaceTime together as they would have preferred. But they made sure to keep up running commentaries in their group and individual chats and never failed to keep each other in the loop on important events in their lives, or just the mundane daily excitements and aggravations that come with living and other people. 

 

John and Alex told Laf about their possible promotions and Hercules talked about his newfound popularity. They told Laf about the latest news in the city and Washington Corp. and the newest happenings with the Schuylers if Laf hadn't been told yet by the sisters himself. 

 

John, Herc, and Alex were aware and saddened when Laf had people he thought were friends but turned out to be trying to use him to get something. Sex or secondhand fame or exposure to their own pursuits or whatever. And they celebrated with him when he found true friends in Blaise LeGrand and Zoè Beaumont. Blaise was a fellow artist, though he was a sculptor, and Zoè was a model who was gaining traction on Paris runways. Zoè and Laf bonded over a love of fashion and Blaise and Laf could discuss art for hours. 

 

Alex, Herc, and John had spoken with Blaise and Zoè ample times over FaceTime when either or both were with Laf, and had the chance to meet them twice now when they'd been in France visiting Laf. Both Zoè and Blaise had been surprised by Laf's polyamorous relationship when first told, but they'd quickly taken to Herc, John, and Alex and fully understood Laf's fascination with them. Laf's partners were equally fond of his new friends and welcomed them into their life. 

 

(“No! You get three gorgeous men?! That is just not fair, mon ami!” “Oui! Such is my lot in life. And what's more, they get me! We've all got three gorgeous men. How'd we get so lucky?” “Mon Dieu, to have your luck!”)

 

Laf was never afraid to talk about his partners. He was not ashamed of them or their relationship and would tell all and sundry whenever slightly prompted. It was that slight prompt that got him in trouble with the French media.

 

**LaffyTaffy** : Have you all  _ SEEN _ this garbage?!?!?!?!  [ www.lavieparisienne.com/hottopics/gossip/lafayette ](http://www.lavieparisienne.com/gossip/lafayette) ?legrand?together

 

**SmashingEveryExpectation** : They think you're with Blaise now?!

 

**ZeroToHero** : They're at it again?!

 

**PintSizedPunchline** : So they finally moved on from Zoè.

 

**LaffyTaffy** : Why am I constantly the topic of these gossip rags?!

 

**SmashingEveryExpectation** : Because you're a ~celebrity~ now.

 

**LaffyTaffy** : I don't want this part of fame! ;.;

 

**ZeroToHero** : Unfortunately, they don't let you pick and choose. 

 

**LaffyTaffy** : Just give me the money!

 

**PintSizedPunchline** : Here here!

 

**ZeroToHero** : I'm not minding the prestige. 

 

**LaffyTaffy** : That, too! Just keep the crazy stalker press, please. 

 

**SmashingEveryExpectation** : Do we need to look into suing the magazine for slander? 

 

**LaffyTaffy** : I don't think we can. The article is more speculation than them stating it as fact. The point is that they're trying to imply I'm cheating on you all with Blaise. I hate that they're dragging Blaise into it and implying that I can't even be satisfied when I've already got ThReE partners. 

 

**PintSizedPunchline** : How's Zoè doing after they linked her with you?

 

**LaffyTaffy** : Honestly, fine. It didn't hurt her reputation at all to be linked with me. It even boosted awareness of her modeling. I just had a problem with it because I'm not only very happily taken thrice over, but  _ extraordinarily _ gay.  

**ZeroToHero** : Oh, I remember they loved that, when you broke the story that you're not only gay but polyamorous. 

 

**LaffyTaffy** : *MASSIVE SIGH* That was a… what's the word?

 

**SmashingEveryExpectation** : Shit show.

 

**LaffyTaffy** : Yes! A shit show. They didn't let that story die for weeks! And the religious fanatics! I couldn't be on social media at all, had to make all my accounts private and approve messages. Ugh. Terrible. 

 

**ZeroToHero** : I still get some of those messages in my business accounts. 

 

**LaffyTaffy** : Oh, mon cher. I'm sorry. :(

 

**ZeroToHero** : Don't apologize, Laf. This is the least of what I'd deal with for you. For any of you. For us. 

 

**PintSizedPunchline** : <3 <3 <3 

 

**SmashingEveryExpectation** : <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

 

**LaffyTaffy** : <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

 

**SmashingEveryExpectation** : How's Blaise?

 

**LaffyTaffy** : Taking it in stride. He knows if you feed the vultures, they'll only come back for more. He has every intention on ignoring them. Hopefully they don't start coming to his studio like they do my museum. 

 

**SmashingEveryExpectation** : They WhAT?

 

**LaffyTaffy** : I have security escort them out every time they get bold enough to come in the building. Do not worry. 

 

**ZeroToHero** : Don't make me come to Paris. 

 

**PintSizedPunchline** : Cosigned.

 

**SmashingEveryExpectation** : Double cosigned. 

**LaffyTaffy** : Oooh, would you? I'd love to show them you all hanging off my arms. We could even do an outing with Blaise and Zoè so they have nothing to call them on for splitting up the quad or accuse you of keeping me away from them. 

 

**ZeroToHero** : Like we could.

 

**PintSizedPunchline** : Or would. 

 

**SmashingEveryExpectation** : I'll start looking up tickets…

____ 

 

John and Alex didn't know how yet more vacation would affect their chances of getting the promotions, but they considered the risk worth it to help Laf. Hercules had no fear of consequences. His work was still pouring in and his recent hires working away. They could do without him for a few days. John and Alex's employees were likewise perfectly fine with them taking a brief leave. No major projects were coming up for either and so it was business as usual. If nothing else, it proved they knew how to teach a team to survive in their absence. 

 

George rolled his eyes when they'd shown him the newest article and shooed them on their way. He had yet to meet Blaise or Zoè, but he'd heard plenty about them from Laf. He was already fond of them just through the stories he'd been told. 

 

They were on their way to Paris a week later. This eight hour flight was becoming so routine, it didn't even phase the trio anymore. There would be residual jetlag, but mostly they were up and at them within an hour or so. And they were becoming known at the airports and with their favored airline's staff. They were definitely earning their miles. 

 

It didn't help when press was stationed outside of airports, just waiting for their latest story. Thanks to Herc's spreading fame, he was easily recognized; as were John and Alex thanks to Laf’s fame and his staunch defense of his relationship with all aforementioned. Parisian gossip had to call up their American counterparts for verification and details, after all. John and Alex found themselves the recipients of secondhand fame, much to the amusement of their entire friend group. Thomas STILL laughs wildly at Alex whenever they see each other. 

 

The furor was no less wild when they actually landed in Paris, with the local media going crazy when they were spotted. Hercules wondered if the American rags had done some contacting of their own or if they were just so unlucky to have hit both. 

 

“Vultures,” Alex grumbled, pressing pass them and barely keeping his temper when some refused to move. His shorter stature was not aiding him right now. Hercules stepped up behind Alex and leveled those that were reluctant to move with a Look. They got the message.

 

John suggested they order a car before they all looked at each other and laughed at what their life was becoming. Alex stepped into the street away from the press and hailed a cab. The press continued to take pictures of them as they rode away. 

 

They arrived at Laf's museum, thinking they could greet him and look around until he got off. 

 

“Mes amours!” Laf squealed when they made their way to his office. “I am happy you are here!” Laf rose and kissed all his partners. 

 

“Has it let up at all?” John asked. 

 

Laf sighed. “Unfortunately not. Poor Blaise has holed himself up in his studio more often than not.” 

 

“Well we'll just have to go drag him out. We're not letting them push any of you into hiding,” Alex told him. 

 

“Any of us. We still go out all the time, despite the media,” John added. 

 

“I think the Schuylers like it,” Herc laughed. “Especially Angelica.”

 

“And Eliza uses the attention to push her cause for the orphanages she runs,” Alex input. 

 

“And Peggy just flirts with all the cameras,” John smiled. 

 

“George and Martha seem to enjoy it a lot less,” Hercules noted. 

 

“But they've been dealing with all levels of the media for decades. They're pros at navigating through it,” Laf reminded him. 

 

“True. They should give us some pointers.”

 

They wandered the museum for the next few hours. Laf gave them a tour of the newest acquisitions and talked to them about collections he hoped to borrow soon and old ones he was planning to take out of storage soon and find a place for. 

 

“If I ever get my work here,” Laf told them, “I'd want it displayed here.” He gestured to the Local French Artists section the museum had dedicated a spot to. 

 

“Can't you decide when and if you're displayed here?” John asked. 

 

“I could ask and I do have input. But I'd be working with the curator, and registrar, and a host of other personnel. It is not a snap my finger and done decision,” he told them. 

 

They continued walking around and discussing the art until the museum was set to close. Laf called Blaise and discovered he was still in his studio, as expected. As Blaise’s workshop was reasonably close, the gang trooped out the door and walked. They were stopped a time or three by locals that had heard of them and tourists that were bigger fans of their names than them, but they made it to Blaise’s mostly unaccosted. 

 

They found the man elbow deep in clay, molding it to his liking. They stood back quietly until it looked like he came to a natural stopping point, then broke in before he could resume again. 

 

“Blaise,” Laf said, startling his friend, who whipped around at the sound of his name. 

 

“Laf! And Alex, John, and Herc! Greetings, mes amies! What brings you all here?”

 

“We've come to take you out,” Alex informed him.

 

“Non. The papers,” he said, waving a hand at the door agitatedly to indicate all the press, “They are rabid.”

 

“Exactly,” Hercules countered. “And they'll only get more so the more you hide away. They love a mystery and will dig for a story if you don't readily give them one. The best way to fight them off is to continue living your life, not hiding away.”

 

“Oui, mon ami,” Laf agreed. “And we have not gone out in days. Come. We are off to collect Zoè next. We shall all go out for dinner. You know Zoè will not let you stay in once I've told her.”

 

Blaise sighed, caving under the force that was Zoè, if nothing else. She definitely wouldn't let him stay cooped up in the studio. She would drag him out, kicking and screaming, and tell him to thank her later. 

 

Blaise, resigned to his fate, rose and went to clean his hands. His friends cheered and ushered him out the door, locking it securely behind them. Zoè wouldn't be ready for another hour, so the five walked the city, talking and laughing and catching up since it had been awhile since they'd all last seen each other. 

 

“Well, John and I are both up for different promotions at work,” Alex told Blaise. 

 

“So Laf was telling me! He gushes about you all quite a lot. Something about global positions?” Blaise clarified. 

 

Alex laughed at Laf's slight blush when Blaise ratted him out. They all knew full well how Laf could get when talking about any of his partners, let alone all of them. 

 

“Yes,” he smiled. “I'm up for Vice President of Marketing for the entire corporation, and John for Global Art Director.”

 

“They'd be huge steps up for us, and would give us the opportunity to travel more,” John added. 

 

“You lot don't travel enough?” Blaise laughed. 

 

Hercules, Lafayette, John, and Alex laughed with him, but they all found themselves grasping hands with the nearest of them and holding tight. 

“Never,” they all said. Emphatic. 

 

Blaise watched them--the sudden, unspoken link of them--and nodded, the smile dropping away from his face a little. 

 

“It never goes away, non? The missing,” he queried, waving a hand and indicating their link. 

 

Again, “Never.” Sadder this time. Heavier with every day spent apart, a million moments missed to the miles. 

 

“But it gets easier, yes? Better with time?” Blaise asked, hopeful on their account. 

 

“I mean, not really,” Hercules shrugged a shoulder, hands still firmly twined with Laf's and John's. 

 

“Just imagine,” John said, “a whole fourth of your soul a fuck ton of miles away from you.” 

 

“And you're almost constantly looking over your shoulder, expecting it to walk through the door again,” Alex further explained. 

 

“But they rarely do, and you get sad and disheartened every time you think they will, but they don't,” Laf whispered. 

 

Alex and Hercules both squeezed Laf's hands in their grip.

 

“But it could be worse. None of us are dead,” Herc teased. 

 

“And we talk and video basically daily,” John smiled. 

 

“And see each other every chance we get,” Alex assured. 

 

“For now, it has to be enough. But it does not get particularly easier, no, and the missing never ceases,” Laf finished. 

 

Blaise’s eyes flicked back and forth between them, not knowing what to say and disheartened for his friends. 

 

“Hey,” John nudged him. “Why the long face? We're okay. And look,” he raised his hand holding Herc's, “We're together. We're good.”

 

“Oui. Do not fret. We still find plenty of happiness between us. I assure you,” Laf flashed him a brilliant smile. “Now come. It is time to collect Zoè.”

 

And that effectively changed the mood for the rest of the evening. Zoè was not one to let a rain cloud ruin any parade of hers. She greeted them all with exuberant cheek kisses and buoyant laughter and everyone was brightened because of it. 

 

They went out and ate and found a club to go dancing at. Hercules thought he was a pretty good dancer, but Zoè put him to shame. Laf could keep up with her and he entranced every one of his partners with the way his body moved. All four knew just where that night was leading. 

 

And Zoè was a vision. Ebony hair flowing around smooth caramel skin. Her Black and Latin roots were coming fully to the fore. She swayed her hips in time to the music or made music of her own, enticing the stares of many of the club goers. But she spared not a look for anyone outside of her own party.

 

She dragged Blaise onto the floor from where he tried to post at the bar, laughing at his excuses for why he couldn't dance. And he was an awkward sight. Rhythm was quite a foreign concept to the man, but that made the dance and the night all the more fun. 

 

Laf and Herc were also laughing at their partners. Alex's Caribbean roots clearly were not aiding his hip motions now and neither was John's Southern boy thing doing him any favors. But that was fine. It offered Herc and Laf a grand opportunity to grab one of their little partners against their own hips and ~show~ them the way to move. They may have gotten borderline explicit in the middle of a dance floor in a darkened club in Paris. It was a grand night.

 

The six stumbled out of the club in the early hours of the morning, drunk on life and each other, laughing at their own silliness. 

 

“Oh, gods. I thought we were going to get kicked out,” Hercules laughed, bending over clutching his own stomach. 

 

“Well, when tes petits began dancing on tables, they were left with few options,” Blaise was similarly laughing. 

 

“Hey, we got down when asked!” John defended himself and Alex.

 

“Look, there are just some songs where the dance floor isn't a good enough stage,” Alex said, completely unashamed. 

 

“Oui! And you both were marvelous,” Zoè told them. “Finally figured out the hips! At least for awhile.”

 

“Can't imagine where we learned that,” John laughed, throwing a salacious look Laf's way. 

 

Laf threw him a wink and a smirk before sharing it with Hercules. Hercules’ grin was unapologetically wolfish. 

 

The six friends parted ways and the gang headed home. The night was late or the day was early, but they were definitely not done with it or each other. They had finished Christening all the rooms of the palace house long ago, but there were several they still found enjoyable to *ahem* bless again. 

 

When they were finished, they fell into bed in an exhausted, tangled heap, just as they preferred. It never failed that on these trips, with Laf visiting them or them visiting Laf, that Laf ended up at the bottom of the pile. They were all heavy, but Laf loved the reminder that his partners were  _ there _ . A little labored breathing was a small price to pay. 

 

They woke up to calls from both Blaise and Zoè, telling them to look at La Vie Parisienne’s website this morning. 

 

Laf groaned and buried his face back in his pillows. Alex laughed at him and pulled up the gossip magazine's website on his phone. 

 

“Oh,” he said, faint. 

 

“What? What does it say today?” Laf asked from beneath his pillows. 

 

Alex removed the barrier from his face and put the phone screen within his view. The first photo was of them, all of them, holding hands and standing opposite Blaise. It was from yesterday, when they'd been explaining to Blaise how difficult it was for them to be separated still. The article's author had tried to spin the picture as their defensive move, how they were apparently standing as a united front against a threat and how Alex, John, and Herc must have forgiven Laf for cheating on them with Blaise. 

 

The following photo was when John lifted his and Herc's hands, demonstrating to Blaise that they were doing alright, they were together. The author had twisted that, too, to play into their united front narrative. They implied that John was showing their closed ranks against Blaise. 

 

Laf  _ growled _ . 

 

“Hey,” Alex appeased, if you ignore all the words, these are some really great pictures of us. 

 

Hercules snorted from behind Alex. 

 

“Scroll down a little, Alex,” he said, from where he was looking at the website on his own phone. 

Alex scrolled a bit and squawked. The next set of pictures were from them all at the club the night before. There were pictures of Blaise dancing with Zoè, John dancing with Laf and Alex with Herc, and Alex and John dancing together on a set of tables. 

 

“Why are these people  _ everywhere _ ?!” John asked, outraged, from where he was looking over Herc's shoulder at his phone. These were  _ not _ the pictures he needed getting back to Washington Corp. before the promotions were announced. 

 

Worse than the pictures, of course, was the spin. By the author's telling, Blaise must have gone to nurse his broken heart by getting together with Zoè, Laf's “former beau.” And the gang was apparently showing their forgiving nature to all by them all going to the club and enjoying it together. 

 

“We can sue them for this one, right?” John inquired. 

 

“Afraid not. It's still a speculative opinion piece. They don't present anything as fact but the pictures and that's definitely us. We can't control how people choose to read conversations they were definitely not a part of,” Herc explained. 

 

“Ugh,” was everyone's collective opinion. 

 

“I'm glad you all came on the weekend so I don't have to go in to work,” Laf said. 

 

“Let's go out for breakfast. I could use sugar to wash the taste of that out of my mouth,” John suggested, rising. 

 

“My kingdom for some coffee,” Alex concurred, crawling out of bed after John. 

 

“Suppose we'd all better hop in the shower,” Herc agreed, dragging a reluctant-to-face-the-world Laf after him. 

 

After they all showered together, they walked down to Laf's favorite neighborhood café, grabbing coffee and sweets to brace for the day. They called and agreed to meet Blaise and Zoè again in front of the Fountaines de la Concorde for another day spent together. 

 

The six trekked through the city, on foot and in cabs and buses. Sightseeing and just chatting. They were stopped more than once, tourists or locals wanting autographs or selfies if they happened to recognize Herc, Laf, or Zoè. Blaise, Alex, and John stood by and laughed whenever this happened, though they were occasionally asked to be in the pictures, too. They were all generous to the ones that weren't pushy and respectfully declined requests and demands from the ones who were. 

 

It was another pleasant day in Paris and a lovely night, with them all catching dinner together again and Laf finding last minute tickets to an opera for them all. Whatever the rags said, this was a genuine friendship between them. 

 

The last day, Alex, Herc, John, and Laf spent by themselves. They mostly spent it in and out of bed, their next trip currently unplanned so unsure of when they'd see each other again. 

 

“It's your turn to come to us,” John said into the skin of Laf's chest. “Peggy has been telling me to make sure you come back soon. She's got something she wants to show you, but won't tell me what it is.”

 

“Ha. I will be sure to come see what Ms. Margarita wishes to show me.” Laf tangled his fingers in John's curls. He missed doing it and therefore took every opportunity to indulge. 

 

“I don't want to leave tomorrow,” Herc mumbled from where his face was buried into the curve of one side of Laf's throat. 

 

“Me, either,” Alex muttered from the other side. 

 

“Cosigned,” came John's sleepy reply from Laf's chest. 

 

Laf sighed. “It never gets easier. The leaving or the missing.”

 

“Never,” Laf both heard and felt from three different places on his skin, making him smile. 

 

______ 

 

They accompanied Laf to work in the morning, bidding him goodbye there before heading to the airport. Laf used to come with them to the airport each time, but always watching them walk away from him became too much. They'd taken to dropping him off at work because at least there he'd have something to occupy himself rather than go home and be lonely. 

 

They made it back home and business resumed as usual. The weeks and months went by and things changed, slowly. Both Laf and Herc's fames grew and their work became even more in demand. Both John and Alex cheered to find out they'd gotten the promotions and worked hard to learn everything they'd need to know to prepare for such huge responsibilities. (John silently thanked whatever god was listening that those photos from darkened Parisian clubs didn't come back to haunt them.)

 

Herc was being featured in New York Fashion Week and Laf was asked if he had a big enough collection of unsold pieces to put on a show in one of the larger galleries in the city. He most certainly did. And if it did well there, there was a possibility of his works touring the world. 

 

Laf called his partners the night he was asked crying because he was so happy. Laf had had random pieces on display at smaller galleries before, whether he'd sold a piece there, was asked to feature, or the piece was on loan to the gallery from one of the wealthier collectors he'd already sold to. The last kind was Laf's favorite to discover. But he was always excited and taking pictures of his works so grandly displayed and sending the pictures to all of his friends at home. 

 

Laf's partners had been to see every gallery where Laf's works had been displayed thus far. They couldn't always make it for the grand reveal, but they never failed to see them when they were in the city. But the reveal in this particular gallery, which was world renown, they would all take pains to attend. Not just Laf's partners, but the Washingtons, Schuylers, Thomas and James were also attending. This was one of the biggest moments in Laf's career and none of his friends or family intended to miss it. 

 

Herc's New York Fashion Week was also a monumental deal. This was his first serious break into the world of international fashion. If he did well in New York, he might be invited to the fashion weeks of London, Milan, and Paris. Hercules had borderline panic attacks just thinking of it, but Alex and John were there to calm him down and Laf talked him through it remotely. Herc took auditions for models and dove into the work with a vengeance with an eye for perfection. 

 

Alex and John’s promotions increased their workloads exponentially at first. Their employees increased by an order of magnitude and the responsibility was daunting. 

 

Alex was right in his element, organizing everything and reading several books at once and going over profiles of all of the heads of city departments under him. He was feeling the power, but more so the debt he owed all these people to do a good job. 

 

John looked at his workload and was drastically overwhelmed. He was regretting the promotion, questioning if he could do this, before he was sat down and had a talking to by Alex and Herc before he succumbed to a panic attack of his own. After said talk, he got together with Alex, who helped him organize his work into manageable chunks. It was fine. He'd be fine. 

 

Laf's plans for his gallery showing also threw an extreme amount of stress on him. On top of his duties as museum director, he was also creating new paintings and reworking past ones to get them perfect in time for the show in three months. 

 

It was a hectic time for all of the partners. Each involved in a major transition that devoured a vast majority of their time. Their time together and for each other suffered from it, but there was never a question of a lack of love or devotion or support. They still messaged their group chat, still called when they could spare a few minutes, still spoke of their love and their missing frequently. But if their talks were reduced from a few hours to a few snatched minutes between tasks and as necessary breaks before they broke something out of frustration, they made each of those few minute respites count. 

________

 

After months of feeling like they barely see each other, months of struggling to build a new global organizational method, months of tears of frustration, months of not seeing Laf, months of never-quite-long-enough FaceTime talks, things were finally coming to fruition. 

 

Laf's show was in one short week, Herc's showing at the New York Fashion Week was three short weeks after that, and John and Alex had each and together created global programs that were currently fully functioning. The programs were in their early stages yet, but the early numbers and meetings were looking good. 

 

Alex and John had been traveling recently, both separately and together when they could. They met with the heads of the local departments, for both districts and individual cities. They collected ideas, criticisms, goals, and formed plans for how this global thing would really run. 

 

Their times away left Hercules home alone much more often than he'd like. During these times, he called Laf a lot more, finally able to sympathize with what Laf had been dealing with for years now. He also saw the Schuylers more. Not only did they help stave off loneliness and boredom, they were an invaluable wellspring of fashion inspiration. 

 

And they were joining him for fashion week, having secured their tickets the moment Herc told them he was contracted to present. Herc tried to persuade any or all of them to be his models, but they wouldn't. Laf jokingly told him the Schuylers were being kind and wanted to make sure the focus was on Herc's clothes and not how stunning the sisters were. Angelica solemnly cosigned this reasoning. 

 

Not that Herc had too much time to feel lonely, even with everyone's absence. He was as worried about his own project as he was about his partners. Making sure his clothes were as gorgeous as he could possibly make them, Herc's time was devoted to perfecting his work. But he was feeling good about his designs. Everyone who saw them assured him they were some of his best work yet. 

 

Soon. Everything would come to a head soon. 

_______

 

Laf was  _ so _ excited. He was standing just inside the gallery with his partners, all of them waiting for the doors to open. Alex, Herc, and John had gotten back to Paris a couple days ago, and the Washingtons, Schuylers, Jefferson, and Madison had all done the same. It was quite a flight with all 10 of them, and George suspected the flight attendants were happy to see the back of them all. 

 

Laf had paid to get everyone's tickets upgraded if they weren't already. And to be fair, most of them were. Thomas was  _ not _ riding in anything not first class and the Washingtons long had platinum member status. The Schuylers would have upgraded their own tickets had Laf not offered. James wouldn't have minded economy but neither Laf nor Thomas would have it. 

 

“James,” Thomas looked at him in horror. “ _ No _ !”

 

With the way that Alex and Thomas just couldn't help needling each other whenever they were sharing the same air, let alone recycled air in a cramped craft jetting across an ocean, they quickly drove their own party mad, let alone the strangers not used to their antics. 

 

The strangest part was they were friends. But it was a friendship built on the foundations of rivalry and antagonism and they never quite forgot their roots. James and Laf were often the best at quelling any genuine fights the two still got in, usually by means of distraction. There was never really an end, just an impasse. 

 

Laf bounced on his toes, barely containing his excitement. His partners laughed at him while the security from the gallery went around making sure everything was okay before opening it to the public. The gallery staff and management were stationed around, prepared to answer questions or offer guidance. Hired help was ready to float, offering champagne or finger snacks. 

 

When the doors opened and the crowd outside drifted in, it was a dream come true for Laf. These people were here to see  _ his _ work. And what work it was--ranging from light, cheerful pieces, dancing in color and fun shapes and images that made one feel joyful; to dark, intense works, full of harsh lines and sharp angles and jagged shapes, that drew on one's emotions and caused them to feel inexplicably sad. 

 

Laf drifted, accepting praise and making connections. He answered public questions about motivations and inspirations and about his process. He answered questions from the press, politely ignoring all of them that even hinted at his love life. 

 

But his loves were not inactive. Herc, John, and Alex were all talking to people, general public and art industry bigwigs and members of the press alike. Making connections for themselves and Laf both. They were being good co-hosts (or rather partners of the host), but subconsciously, they were also proving they were able partners of such a rising star. 

 

George and Martha approached Laf, hugging him and kissing his cheeks. (The press cameras exploded for that moment.) 

 

“Congratulations, son,” George told him, pulling Laf into a hug after Martha released him. “It's great work you've made here.”

 

“It truly is,” Martha added. “So much depth of emotion. I can see the works you created when you were really struggling with missing your boys, and the ones where you were happy thinking about them.”

 

Laf's lip trembled, a tear escaping his eye. These people saw so much. They knew him nearly as well as his partners did. George and Martha had basically adopted Laf when he came to America, newly orphaned and searching for a new start in a new world. When he got a job at the recently established Washington Corp., George immediately took Laf under his wing. And Martha stepped into the role of additional mother, as she'd told him. She never wanted to try to replace his deceased mother, but one could never have too many mothers. 

 

Martha wiped the tear from Laf's cheek and kissed it again. She smiled at him. “Go. Show the world how great you are.”

 

The Washingtons wandered away to go mingle more and Laf soon found himself immersed in the tangle of the Schuyler sisters. Peggy and Eliza were gushing over him and Angelica looked silently proud. 

 

“It's so good!” Peggy squealed. 

 

“You're an amazing artist, Laf,” Eliza concurred. 

 

“Brilliant,” Angelica confirmed. “And this reveal has quite the turnout. I can't wait to see the press coverage tomorrow.”

 

“I'm sure it'll all be positive,” Eliza said. 

 

“And hopefully will focus on you, not your partners,” Peggy inserted. 

 

“Even if they did mention them, that'll be positive, too. They've been impressing people left and right, I can tell,” Angelica informed them. 

“As have you all. I have noticed, even despite me being focused on myself. I'm so proud of you all, too,” Laf smiled at the sisters. 

 

“Aww!” Laf was immediately engulfed in a Schuyler hug. 

 

They soon wandered away from him, too, and Laf made his way to the Thomas-James duo. Laf wondered, as he'd been wondering for ages, if these two would ever realize they were in love with each other but were both too shy to tell the other. It was a constant source of frustration for Alexander. Even though he and Thomas still fought, he did want the dick to be happy. And Alex was fond of James. He just wanted both of them to stop  _ pining _ . 

 

Laf suspected they reminded Alex far too much of before the four of them got together. Didn't see a chance of getting one of the others, let alone all three. And so, they all spent quite awhile pining before the tension finally broke and they were all forced to admit their feelings. Still one of the greatest days of Laf's life. Realizing that not only were his feelings returned from one of his friends, but they all admitted they were in love with each other, was the happiest Laf had ever been. And Laf really wanted that for Thomas and James. 

 

“Are you two enjoying the show?” he asked them when he finally reached their position. 

 

“We are. You're very talented, Lafayette,” James said. 

 

“I thank you, James. You're very kind,” Lafayette grinned. 

 

“You know you do excellent work, Lafayette. But you do have some of the best I've seen you do displayed here,” Thomas told him. 

 

Laf grinned at the snarky compliment. “Thank you, Thomas.”

 

Laf chatted with Thomas and James for a bit before they left him to look around some more. Laf watched the room, pleased to see everyone enjoying themselves and discussing his works and mingling together. He was overjoyed when He noticed Blaise speaking with the Washingtons and Zoè already looking like another member of the Schuyler sisters. He was so happy his worlds were mixing so well. Laf found himself alone until his partners all converged and nearly tackled him in a hug. 

 

“We're so proud of you, Laf. This is amazing,” John said from behind him. 

 

“The consensus is unanimously positive from everyone I've talked to,” Herc input from Laf's side.

 

“Your work is almost sure to go on tour if this is the reception it continues to get. I can't wait to see it in the Met,” Alex said from Laf's chest. 

 

Laf laughed delightfully, both at the positive reviews and the giddiness of his partners. This was a dream. And the Met! An even bigger dream. One he hoped to achieve. Laf really couldn't imagine a better night than this right now. 

________

 

Laf's show was a rousing success and all the press coverage fell over itself to praise his work. There were a few criticisms from some art critics, but even they were overall impressed with the quality and style of Laf's paintings. 

 

The display would run in the gallery for a few months before it was determined if it would travel on, but early reviews had the chance high in Laf's favor. And Laf was on top of the world. 

 

A few weeks later, it was Herc's turn to finally see some fulfillment of all his hard work. Alex, John, and Laf were front and center, ready to witness the beauty of all of Herc's dreams. The Schuylers were on the other side of the stage with George and Martha, and Thomas and James were a few rows behind them. 

 

Herc was backstage, getting his models ready and frantic, if his messages in the group chat were anything to go by. His partners shouted out nothing but engagements and love to him. They knew Herc would be anxious until the fashion week was over. But they'd all support him. His partners were willing to model if necessary. Laf would be a show stopper, no doubt, and the world was nowhere near ready for Alex or John to try modeling. Herc hadn't given up on trying to convince any or all of the Schuylers, either. 

 

But the show started and ran smoothly from this side of the curtain. Versace and Prada and Anne Klein. Alice McCall and Asia Fashion Collective and Cinq À Sept. Welcome to Wakanda and Tibi and Mulligan’s. 

 

Alex and John wanted to cheer when Hercules’ models started coming out, but that was not what one did at these kinds of affairs. But Alex, John, and Laf looked among each other and were clearly all squealing on the inside. They were so proud! Hercules’ designs looked beautiful and the models wore them well. There were no fashion faux pas that any of them could see. And all the models looked so official, taking their jobs seriously and showing off Herc's clothes to best advantage. It was a wonderful show. 

 

When Herc's run was done and the show was over for the day, the audience rose and moved around, the press taking an interview or two with the designers that came out. Herc got pulled over for an interview and his partners stood in the background smiling. 

 

“I'm so proud of you,” Laf congratulated Hercules when he was done with interviews and other well wishers. 

 

“ _ We're _ so proud of you,” John corrected, after Laf released Herc from a hug and moving in for his own. 

 

“Your designs are amazing,” Alex added, pulling Hercules to himself. 

 

“Oui. I can't wait for you to start making all of my clothes,” Laf joked. 

 

“You know I'll make you anything you want,” Herc told him. 

 

“Oui. I know. Which is why I don't take advantage of it often, especially with your increased workload,” Laf assured him. 

 

“Though you wearing his clothes will help to increase both of your fames,” Thomas commented, walking up to the quad with James. 

“Good show, Hercules. Your designs are splendid,” James congratulated. 

 

“Thank you,” Hercules smiled, feeling proud. 

 

Soon the Washingtons and Schuylers joined the group and it was a lively talk full of congratulations and praise for Hercules. Herc was a smiling, blushing mess by the time the group decided to move the party to a restaurant for a celebratory dinner. 

 

Everyone treated Hercules to his favorites and he was absolutely on top of the world that night. 

 

When the fashion week ended with rave reviews for Hercules’ designs and several complimentary remarks for his models, Hercules was sure his cloud couldn't possibly get any higher. 

 

Laf stayed a few days after New York Fashion Week was over, which was great because both John and Alex headed out that Monday on more travel meetings for their respective divisions. John set off for New Orleans and Alex to Chicago. They'd both be gone about 4 days and Laf was staying until they returned. 

 

Herc and Laf made use of the time their partners were away. Visiting friends and Herc's family, who had come down for Herc's show. They dined with the Washingtons and caught a show with the Schuylers. Laf joined Herc in his workshop and chatted with the few employees Herc kept on staff. Laf told them there may soon be more if the influx of commissions kept pouring in. Herc groaned but was still delighted his work was still being received so well. 

 

When Alex and John returned, they all spent the following two days together before Laf had to fly back to Paris. They found no shortage of things to keep them occupied. 

 

Alex and John's jobs were going extremely well. The global operations had been running for several months now and though there were things that cropped up that needed tweaking, overall, both divisions were going smoothly. Alex and John kept traveling to show their faces, get to know their teams, and check on things, but they had both developed a system that was operating quite well. They were proud of it and their partners were extremely proud of them. 

________ 

 

Time passed in months and years and things continued to go well for the gang and their friends. Zoè’s modeling career took off the next year and she was soon in demand not just in Paris or France, but worldwide. Zoè kept Paris as her base, but took frequent trips to Milan and London. She visited America less often, but she never found herself without somewhere to stay when she was there. 

 

Her friendship with the Schuylers, formed at Laf's gallery reveal, had blossomed into a lifelong connection. Eliza and Peggy even secretly told Laf that they suspected Zoè and Angelica would soon stop dancing around each other and give dating a try if they could manage the long distance thing. Laf cheered for the chance but was no less worried for both his friends if they did give it a go. 

 

Blaise’s sculptures were likewise well received in the art world. His works had found homes in many of the most renown galleries and museums in the world. Blaise did not take to fame as well as his friends did, rather enjoying his reclusive nature, but his friends forced him out to celebrate as much as Blaise would let them get away with. 

 

After too many years to count, Thomas finally had enough of the flirting around and confessed his feelings to James. James, to the surprise of absolutely no one but Thomas, admitted he'd loved Thomas for basically their entire acquaintance. They were finally happily living together and planning a wedding for the following fall. 

 

After three months in the gallery, it was decided that Laf's collection would indeed travel. All of Laf's friends had thrown him another party at the announcement. His collection had gone to Rome and London and Copenhagen and Berlin, Barcelona and Cape Town and Dublin and Amsterdam. When it finally reached the Met in New York City, where it was to stay indefinitely, there was yet another party. 

 

Laf couldn't get over how all his loved ones celebrated his success like this. Laf's happiest success was when his museum's staff decided to get a few of his traveling collection on loan from the Met, which they put right in the Local French Artist section, just as Laf had dreamed of years previous. Laf cried on the phone to his partners after the decision was made and again when the pieces arrived. 

 

Hercules’ designs continued to do well and he did eventually find himself at home in the major fashion weeks of New York, London, Milan, and Paris. Mulligan’s became one of the top design houses in the world and Hercules was steadily over the moon. He still kept his business relatively small, despite the demand. The fact that he only made a limited number of each piece put his works even  _ more _ in demand around the world. His designs continued to be imitated and Hercules saw several of his like styles when he traveled. He absolutely loved seeing them, knowing they were inspired by him. 

Alex and John’s marketing and art divisions only grew. After the first few successful years of being international, Washington Corp. expanded again and John and Alex found themselves traveling the world to oversee and manage their accounts and sectors everywhere. They would willingly admit they might have both visited the Paris sector a lot more than necessary. 

 

After Laf had lived in Paris for six years and too many back and forth trips for the gang for absolutely anyone to count, they all did the inevitable and reconvened. Herc could create from anywhere, so his decision to move to Paris with Laf was easy. He promoted one of his longtime workers and put her in charge of his New York branch of Mulligan’s and opened a second location in Paris that he would continue to head. 

 

Alex and John kept their management positions, but moved their base of operations to the Parisian sector. They were there almost more than they were home in New York anymore, anyway. George approved the move and wished them all well, though Alex and John's New York teams were sad to see them go. 

 

And the party that ensued with their friends when Herc, Alex, and John announced they were moving to Paris. Monumental. The stuff of legends. It lasted for a week and took twice that long to clean up after. Hercules was sure that they were never invited back to the Schuyler estate if Mr. Schuyler had anything to say about it. 

 

But no one was happier for the move than Laf. When his partners told him they were finally coming to Paris to stay, Laf was crying so hard and babbling so unintelligibly that Alex panicked and called Zoè and Blaise to go and comfort him. The friends laughed at Laf when they understood what was wrong and congratulated him on finally getting his partners back after so long. 

 

When they all finally got to Paris, depositing what they chose to take from their New York apartment that had started it all, they realized they all had quite a lot of stuff already stored comfortably in Laf's house. Herc supposed six years of frequent visits was bound to leave its mark. They did leave a fair amount in New York, having no intention on getting rid of their apartment there. They knew they'd be back more often than not. 

 

It took no time at all for the four of them to settle comfortably into their new Paris lifestyle. They'd practically lived there for over half a decade and were well acquainted with the people and culture. What they had fun discovering was the new routines they developed when they were finally all back living in the same household. 

 

Laf once again became an intimate and intricate part of their daily lives, and they all cried a bit when he slotted so seamlessly back into the fold. 

 

They missed their life in New York, but embraced Paris like a long-lost lover. They never neglected New York, though, visiting every six months at least. More, if necessary or they desired a visit. And a little piece of New York joined them when Zoè and Angelica finally got together and Angelica made it a point to visit her girlfriend as often as she could. The gang wished them luck and success in their relationship. 

 

When they had been in Paris a year, John brought up the idea of marriage. Never before had a yes been so immediate from three different sources. Laf had been the Best Man at Thomas and James’ wedding the year before and the idea for their own had been on all of their minds since the engagement had been announced. Now that they were so firmly settled into their new life, it seemed the right time. 

 

They chose to wed in the French countryside and all of their friends and family happily came over for the ceremony. Since they couldn't  _ legally _ marry three ways, officially, Hercules married Alex while Lafayette married John, but unofficially and to everyone that was concerned and whose opinion mattered, this was a four-way marriage. 

They honeymooned in South Africa on the Buffels Bay beach, swimming with dolphins and being happier than they ever thought they could be. 

They returned from their honeymoon tanned, happy, and in love with their life and each other. They were in good health, had great friends, jobs they adored, and more love than they could possibly expend in their lifetimes. And of this life they had built for themselves? It smashed every expectation.

**Author's Note:**

> This monster took me six days and I was like 15,000 words in before I'd even GOTTEN to the part that this fic was originally inspired for. There were a couple lines in johnnlaurenss' "make him love you (turn it around)" [second chapter] where Laf has a gallery art show and John and Alex joke that he'll get famous and move to Europe and have no time for his old friends. I thought, "I can see Laf getting famous and flying his friends out to his shows in Europe rather than abandoning them.... I wanna write that." And thus this was born! 
> 
> This has taken over my head and my life the last week and all of my friends know how happy I've been because of it. Thank you, johnnlaurenss.
> 
> Also, again, if anyone notices any glaring factual errors, I'm more than willing to try to correct them if it doesn't alter plot line.


End file.
